Number of payphones in New York down 50% since 2008: Report

The number of working payphones in the city has plummeted by more than 50% since 2008, with 11,249 still active in the five boroughs as of January, according to data from the New York City Independent Budget Office.

The Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island have seen the number of active payphones drop by about 60% over the last five years, with Queens seeing a decline of 52% and Manhattan down 33%, the IBO said.

The city earlier this year unveiled prototypes to replace payphones, with some models including Wi-Fi service and touch screens.